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In 2024, travelers will be looking to the skies. And it’s not about taking a road trip to see a solar eclipse. Rather, the prevailing travel trend this season is all about aligning your trip with the stars, in the spirit of astrology. One example? The Kilolani Spa at the Grand Wailea in Maui, Hawaii, offers luxurious wellness treatments that evolve with the current lunar cycle.
Hot on the heels of post-pandemic “revenge travel” trends, zodiac-inspired travel is the latest trend that globetrotters are using to plan a getaway. On TikTok, the astrocartography trend—which involves mapping your birth chart to destinations that align with ruling planets—has amassed over 15 million posts. This year alone, we’ve also seen astrology app Sanctuary team up with boutique hotels to offer zodiac-themed activities like celestial cocktail menus and tarot card readings. The Grand Wailea Hotel on Maui got ahead of the trend when it opened its $55 million Kilolani Spa in February 2024.
The Kilolani Spa Lounge offers views of Wailea Beach.
The spa concept, developed in collaboration with spa consultancy TLEE Spas + Wellness, is inspired by its namesake. Kilolaniwhich refers to ancient Hawaiian stargazers who used the moon as a guide for various aspects of daily life. Rather than a set spa menu, Kilolani Spa offers customized treatments that align with the phase of the moon at the time of your visit. Individually selected oils and body treatments are chosen to support the energy of the current phase and give you a heightened sense of grounding and harmony – and isn’t that what we all want from a vacation?
Located in a lush beachfront nook on Maui’s southwest coast, Kilolani Spa (the largest in the state of Hawaii) features 50,000 square feet of space, 40 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy gardens, a meditation lounge, and the only hammam in the Aloha State.
In the Kilolani Spa’s saltwater vitality pool, guests can enjoy a calming floating sensation before a spa treatment.
Renowned luxury interior design studio Tihany Designs collaborated with Grand Wailea to create the Kilolani Spa, an ode to Hawaii’s natural beauty. The Kilolani Spa has a distinctive open-air design: many treatment rooms face the ocean, the outdoor baths are surrounded by native vegetation, and the treatments themselves include native plants and unique products handcrafted on Maui.
To further connect spa guests with Hawaiian culture, many of Kilolani Spa’s offerings are based on practices passed down by locals for generations. An intensive treatment that will fully immerse you in the restorative environment is the 120-minute Helu Pō ritual, which uses native herbal remedies, bodywork and mindfulness exercises for a mind-body retreat. A more traditional treatment with local flair is the Lomilomi massage, inspired by the sea itself, which uses slow and steady bodywork to mimic the rolling waves of the ocean. Weary travelers will enjoy the ‘Awa deep tissue massage, which incorporates deep tissue therapy and Hawaiian plant medicine for an invigorating, stress-relieving experience. And for astrology fans, the 180-minute Unwind the Soul Healing & Astrology Reading includes an in-depth birth chart reading.
Kilolani Spa combines these ancient rituals with modern technology. The Haute Tailored Signature Facial includes LED light therapy to firm and brighten, and a microcurrent session to tighten and sculpt.
A look into the Hammam peeling room at Kilolani Spa.
MICHAEL MUNDY michaelmundy.c
All visitors should take time to relax in the extensive hydrotherapy gardens of Kilolani Spa, where you can wander and pamper yourself at your leisure in steam rooms, waterfall showers, outdoor saunas, a saltwater flotation therapy pool and cold water plunge pools (one hour of access is included with a booked spa treatment; guests can also book a two-hour day pass for $125).
You don’t have to be an astrophile to appreciate a treatment at Kilolani Spa—this luxury destination is an oasis within an oasis that serves relaxation on a silver platter. And the cherry on top? You’ll go home with more than just buttery-soft skin and a calm mind, as the rituals and environment give guests a deeper understanding of Hawaiian culture and a sense of connection to the grounds you explore.
The hydrotherapy garden has several waterfall showers for guests.
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Meet the author
Claire Sullivan is Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets such as Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle and Byrdie. She stays up to date on all things beauty and wellness, as well as the latest shopping trends and clothing brands. Sullivan regularly covers luxury spa treatments and beauty routines.
